It is known to equip a vehicle with one or more computerized driver assist or support systems. Such systems are provided in order to prevent or reduce the incidence and/or impact of accidents by informing and assisting a human driver when performing actions such as braking and steering. One example of a commonly used assist system is a lane keeping assist system (LKA). The lane keeping assist system operates by keeping a host vehicle driving along a traveling path within safe outer side limits of a lane on the traveling path. The LKA system reduces or eliminates the need for a driver of the vehicle to steer the vehicle along the traveling path.
However, when the available lane width is temporarily reduced by an obstacle such as an oncoming vehicle or a pedestrian walking along the road, a driver of the host vehicle may wish to override steering from the LKA system, and steer the vehicle closer to an outer lane limit than the LKA system would otherwise allow. In some situations, the driver may even determine that it is safer to leave the road altogether in order to avoid a collision with an oncoming vehicle or other obstacle on the road.
Published patent application US 20100191421 A1 discloses a system and a method for supporting lane keeping of a vehicle equipped with a steering device. A guiding force from the system can be deactivated or decreased, resulting in the driver experiencing a weaker resistance from the steering device/steering wheel when using the steering device to steer the vehicle. US 20100191421 A1 also teaches that the lane departure warning can be disabled when driving on a narrow road.